Effect of reduced heifer nutrition during in utero and post-weaning development on glucose and acetate kinetics

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2011-12, Vol.106 (11), p.1702-1712
• Main Authors: Waterman, Richard C., Roberts, Andrew J., Geary, Thomas W., Grings, Elaine E., Alexander, Leeson J., MacNeil, Michael D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetates; Acetates - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body weight; calves; Cattle; Developmental stages; Energy Metabolism; feed supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; forage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glucose; glucose tolerance; Half-Life; heifers; Kinetics; Metabolism and Metabolic Studies; Metabolites; Nutrition research; Nutritional Status; parturition; Pregnancy; uterus; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weaning
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511002224

Energetic efficiency was evaluated in composite bred heifers born from dams receiving 1·8 or 1·2 kg/d winter supplementation for approximately 80 d before parturition. Heifers were then developed post-weaning and randomly assigned to heifer development treatments of either control (100 %; ad libitum; n 8/year) or restricted (80 %; fed 80 % of supplementation fed to controls adjusted to a common body weight: n 8/year) in a 2-year study. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) and acetate irreversible loss test (AILT) were administered to heifers at the termination of a 140 d development period when the heifers were approximately 403 d of age and consumed a silage-based diet, and again at 940 d of age when pregnant with their second calf and grazing dormant forage. No differences were measured (P>0·08) for dam winter nutrition or heifer development treatment for baseline serum metabolites or measures in either the GTT or the AILT. However, changes in baseline serum concentrations (P>0·05) were different between metabolic challenges, which occurred at different stages of development. No difference in acetate disappearance (P = 0·18) and half-life (P = 0·66) was measured between the two metabolic challenges. A trend for glucose half-life to be shorter in heifers born from dams receiving in utero winter treatments that supplied 1·2 kg/d of winter supplementation was observed (P = 0·083). Heifers developed with lower total DM intake during a 140 d development period had similar glucose and acetate incorporation rates as ad libitum-fed heifers when evaluated at two different production stages.